Burlington County organizing first-ever Restaurant Week

Wednesday

More than 500 restaurants have been invited to participate in the event, dubbed Taste of Burlington County Restaurant Week, which typically features special menus or meal offerings.

MOUNT HOLLY — The Burlington County Board of Freeholders is targeting so-called foodies as part of its latest economic development initiative.

To lure gastronomes to the county’s broad range of dining options, officials are organizing the first-ever county restaurant week.

More than 500 restaurants have been invited to participate in the event, dubbed Taste of Burlington County Restaurant Week, which typically features special menus or meal offerings. Restaurant week is slated for Oct. 20 to 26.

Freeholder Felicia Hopson, who serves as the freeholder board’s liaison to the Burlington County Bridge Commission’s Department of Economic Development and Regional Planning, said the event is intended to help promote and encourage diners to sample local dining options.

The Burlington County Bridge Commission is creating a website that will list the participating restaurants.

“This gives us an opportunity to show off so many hidden gems,” Hopson said during last week’s freeholder meeting.

Restaurants are a key component of Burlington County’s economy. An estimated 10,400 people are employed in restaurants in the county and the businesses also provide a crucial draw for local downtowns and business districts.

“This is another way to help our economy locally and strengthen our community. We’re excited about it and hope everyone will participate with us,” Hopson said.

In addition to Restaurant Week, Hopson said the county is developing a best practices guide for municipalities looking to post economic development information on their municipal websites. The idea came out of an economic development roundtable the freeholders hosted earlier this year, Hopson said.

Long term, she said the freeholders' goal is to assist municipalities in creating their own economic development plans to encourage business growth within their borders.

“Everyone’s town is different and their needs and wants are different,” Hopson said. “Our primary goal is to have a realistic and implementable plan for every municipality. And that’s a huge challenge.”

The next economic development development roundtable is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 22, she said.

Interested restaurants are encouraged to contact the commission’s economic development coordinator at edcoordinator@bcbridges.org.

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